Michael N. Ripani, C.P.A., C.F.E., J.D.

Senior Counsel

Mr. Ripani is Senior Counsel for the Commercial Practice Group at Handler Thayer, LLP focusing on business and corporate transactions and litigation. He has a unique blend of legal and business experience as a lawyer and a Certified Public Accountant representing public and private corporations in order to develop creative business solutions.

Mr. Ripani is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. His current areas of practice include:

Accounting Firm Counseling

Compliance and Regulatory Matters

Complex Commercial Litigation

Estate Contests

Contract Negotiation and Drafting

Corporate Governance and Compliance

Corporate Internal Investigations

Prior to becoming an attorney, Mr. Ripani was an auditor for an international public accounting firm where he tested financial statement balances and evaluated the financial statements for appropriate disclosures under applicable accounting principles and SEC regulations. He also tested systems of internal accounting controls and developed recommendations for improvement of those systems.

Mr. Ripani attended the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana College of Commerce and Business Administration where he graduated with high honors receiving his Bachelors of Science in Accountancy. He then graduated with honors from IIT Chicago – Kent College of Law. where he earned his Juris Doctor. He was also a member of the Kent Law Review.